***

DD.comment: Ranks are a collection of original watch lists and rankings, updated periodically. We rely upon media coverage, film break-down, and inside source recommendations to create these lists.

We consciously choose to provide ranks or lists rather than full scouting reports, our priorities are on providing real, useful information rather than fake scouting.

There are 32 NFL Scouting Departments (plus CFL, AFL etc.) who sometimes pool the vast resources and motivation required to track every personal aspect of every prospect, every year. To replicate that effort is not our goal here. Rather, our goal is to follow the action on Saturdays, provide an objective, accurate and big-picture comprehensive view of the prospects on a year-to-year basis.

We have a long standing policy to not rank underclassmen until they officially declare. We have this policy for several reasons: First, to predict who will declare and who won't is a waste of time, and can nullify the lists' validity. Second, we do not wish to recommend or condone the early departure of athletes from college. As a general rule it is in everyone's best interest to get a degree.

Obviously, there will be exceptions to that rule but it is primarily up to the NFL Draft Advisory committee to make that distinction, not the Draft Media. Over the years many young men have made bad decisions to leave early, after being advised by those not looking out for their best interest as people, rather than as commodities.

DD's advice to anyone reading this and thinking about declaring early, is to learn from the mistakes of the past. Without naming names, if you can't run an exceptional 40-yard dash, and ace every other pre-draft workout test, then don't even think about it. The safe play is to stay in school. The subjects studied in class might not be relevant to the player, but the willingness or committment to study and work hard is a quality that the winning NFL teams want to see in blue-chip prospects.